This Wednesday, October 22 the local prisoner justice organization Incarcerated Flavors is having its second letter writing to prisoners event, with many more in the works. October 22 was chosen as a date for this event as this is the very same day that two young men, Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton, in 1966 formed the Black Panther Party in Oakland, CA. Because of the Black Panthers’ political activism, their vision for a more just world, and their community survival programs such as the Free Breakfast for Children Program, Free Busing to Prisons Program, and Free Medical Clinics to name just a few, the organization was virtually destroyed by the FBI and multiple police forces in a covert program later reveled to the public as COINTELPRO. Multiple Panthers were targeted for their beliefs and sent to prison. Many still sit in prison cells today for crimes they did not commit. Although the US government consistently denies having political prisoners, these Panthers are included in a list of hundreds of political prisoners in the US.

Although the prison system affects political dissidents like the Panthers, mass incarceration affects all of us. Let us create a caring community to stand up for justice and heal. Join us as we share stories, share food and write letters to friends, family members and political prisoners.